[ePub] Photographic Composition: Principles of Image Design by Albrecht Rissler in Arts-Photography

Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Plays that fully deserve their status as classicsBy R. M. PetersonIn retirement I finally have the time to read some of the classics of literature that I learned about as a youth. With a few; I am disappointed and left wondering why it is regarded as classic (e.g.; "War and Peace"). More frequently; however; I embrace the acclaimed status of the work in question. And then there a few that enter my personal pantheon of great literature. So it is with Chekhov -- both his stories; a selection of which I recently read; and his four great plays; as contained in this volume.I am especially enthralled by "The Three Sisters"; it is easily one of the ten most affecting plays I have read. "The Sea Gull" and "The Cherry Orchard" are not far behind; they; too; fully deserve the label "classic". I am not quite as enthusiastic about "Uncle Vanya"; while I am glad I read it; I do not have a strong urge to see it staged.These four plays have a lot in common. Perhaps most obvious is that they lack "Drama". Plot takes a backseat; and instead the plays reflect the exigencies and contingencies of quotidian life. In that regard; they capture common reality; which Chekhov had set forth as his objective: "I would write of ordinary love and family life without angels or villains . . .; a life that is even; flat; ordinary; life as it really is." As stated in the Introduction; "Zola and other naturalists were talking about the need for such plays; but Chekhov actually wrote them." What makes that ordinary life interesting is how the various characters respond to it. Essentially; the plays feature ensemble casts; there are no clearly leading roles. Also worth mentioning is that all are infused with a comic streak that keeps breaking through regardless of the situation.Although they have universal import; the plays are set in the provincial cities of Russia -- the planetary system; as it were; of the twin suns of Moscow and Petersburg -- in the late 19th-Century. They depict the decline and passing of one social order; the landed gentry; in favor of . . . well; thats not quite clear. In "The Cherry Orchard"; the son of a serf who had become a wealthy merchant buys at a foreclosure auction the estate where his father and grandfather had been "slaves; where they werent even allowed into the kitchen." A student tells the young daughter of the soon-to-be-dispossessed mistress of the estate: "Your grandfather; your great-grandfather; all your ancestors were serf-owners; they owned living men and women. * * * Power over men of flesh and blood has corrupted you; in the past and now too. Your mother and uncle; you too; youre not even aware that youre living on credit; on other people; men and women whom you wont even let through the front door. . . . Russia is at least two hundred years behind; we have nothing; we havent come to terms with our past. All we do is prattle about grand ideas; complain about boredom; and guzzle vodka. Its clear as day--to live in the present we first have to make up for our past; to have done with it once and for all. And we can make up for it only by suffering; by tremendous; unceasing work." Meanwhile; each individual seeks happiness and freedom in life amidst the uncertain streams of history.Incidentally; on several occasions while reading these four plays I was struck by a kinship with Becketts "Waiting for Godot".The translator is Milton Ehre; long associated with the University of Chicago and an authority on Slavic languages and 19th-century Russian drama. (He also contributes the informative 16-page Introduction.) Ehre contends; sensibly; that the translation of plays for performance poses issues different than the translation of literature for reading (such as capturing the feel and rhythms of spoken language). He embarked on the translation of Chekhovs four great plays when requested by producers interested in staging performable versions for theaters in Chicago. On a rather random; sampling basis; I compared excerpts of Ehres translations with the parallel excerpt from the Norton Critical Edition of "Anton Chekhovs Selected Plays". Based on my random sampling; I cant say that I prefer one books translations over the others; with some excerpts; Ehres version seemed more appropriate; with others I would give the nod to the Norton version; and often I was indifferent as between the two. I can say that Ehres CHEKHOV FOR THE STAGE is a much more attractive; sturdy book and the layout is much easier to read.5 of 8 people found the following review helpful. A Dramatic ClassicBy A CustomerI thuroughly enjoyed the works of Chekhov; the writer who helped define the famous Moscow Art Theatre. His plot twists are a bit difficult to grasp outside of a theatre; but still very enjoyable.Chekhov utilizes a realistic writing style. Fantastic and absurd stories where the actors just flailed around on stage and delivered their lines were of little use to him. His plays can be viewed in many different ways. A scene that at one moment can seem tragic; can be comedic if looked at another way. There is no consistant good or evil in a Chekhov piece. He once wrote; "depict life as it actually is. Its aim is truth; unconditional and honest... a man of letters... has to... realize that dung heaps play a very significant role in a landscape and that evil passions are as inherent in life as good ones." He wanted the emotions that the characters were experiencing to be sensed in the actions of the actors on stage; not in the words that anyone could sit down and read. This makes his work some of the more difficult to perform in theatre today. Only an experienced actor who is able to create a reality of their character is capable of performing a Chekhov play. Chekhovs comedies are often mistaken for tragidies. They are actually perfect examples of high comedy. In a true tragedy; the main characters have some heroic qualities that make their fall devestating to the audience. The characters in Chekhovs plays "The Seagull;" and "The Cherry Orchard" have no such qualities. Chekhov also had a very particular way of writing his play. He set out with a purpose. He felt that the writer of the play needed a clearly defined reason to be writing; or else they would find themselves lost with a mediocre piece of work.1 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Chekov was a master playwright.By Shirley SchwartzI read an edition that had only two of these plays; so my review is based on two plays only - "The Cherry Orchard" and "The Three Sisters". Chekovs trademark is to write about strong and determined women. This is quite a stretch since the plays were written in the very early twentieth century. These plays are superbly crafted; and the drama unfolds like a flower in slow motion photography. His characters in both are also wonderful. It would be a real treat to see even one of these masterpieces performed on the stage. I recommend this author highly to anyone interested in adding plays to their reading repertoire